Enrollment
341
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clay Center, KS
Lincoln Elem
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200489000822
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Elem earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Kansas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Clay Center · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lincoln Elem has class sizes smaller than 77% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Clay Center, KS.
School address
District: Clay County · Kansas
NCES ID 200489000822 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lincoln Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lincoln Elem
Lincoln Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Clay Center, Kansas, enrolling 341 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.6% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 341 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 316 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #85.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Clay Center's public schools, it stands alongside Elearn 379 Virtual School (6 students): Lincoln Elem is larger than that campus by headcount.
Clay County also operates Clay Center Community High (326 students) and Clay Center Community Middle (226 students) alongside Lincoln Elem.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lincoln Elem compares
Lincoln Elem on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.4:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▼ 7% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 341 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 23% in Kansas - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,186
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 93.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Two or More 1.5%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 93.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.4, Lincoln Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clay County, which includes Lincoln Elem.
$16,186
Per student
+5%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.5%
State 52.9%
Federal 10.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lincoln Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Center Community High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay Center Community Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Garfield Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wakefield Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wakefield High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 326
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 170
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 129
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Clay Center
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~341 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Elem's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Clay County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Lincoln Elem
How many students attend Lincoln Elem?
Lincoln Elem has 341 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clay Center, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem is 11.4:1, which is 17% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lincoln Elem?
39.6% of students at Lincoln Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lincoln Elem?
The largest demographic group at Lincoln Elem is White at 93.5% of enrollment, in Clay Center, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Elem?
Lincoln Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lincoln Elem rank among public schools in Clay Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Clay Center, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Clay Center on the city page.
Is Lincoln Elem a good school?
Lincoln Elem earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Kansas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Clay County?
Besides Lincoln Elem, Clay County also operates Clay Center Community High (326 students), Clay Center Community Middle (226 students), and Garfield Elem (170 students). See the Clay County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.